Psalm 55

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Psalm 55

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 3

<html>I lament in my speech Heb. אריד, I will lament of my pain, as (Lam. 3:19): “Remember my affliction and my misery (ומרודי).” Also (Jud. 11:37): “and wail (וירדתי) upon the mountains.” Menachem (p. 162) interpreted אריד as an expression of ruling, as (Gen. 1:28): “and rule (ורדו) over the fish of the sea.” שּׂיחי is an expression of speech (Prov. 23:29): “He who talks too much (שיח).”</html>

Verse 4

<html>the distress Heb. עקת, an expression of distress. for they accuse me of iniquity Doeg and Ahithophel accuse me of iniquities that overweigh [the scale] to demonstrate that I am liable to death, and they sanction [the shedding of] my blood.</html>

Verse 5

<html>shudders Heb. יחיל, worries.</html>

Verse 8

<html>Behold I would wander far away… and… I would quickly find myself a refuge If I had wings, I would wander far away and hasten to save my soul from their hands, for they are like a sweeping wind, a storm wind, which uproots trees, as (Job 19:10): “He has uprooted (ויסע) like a tree.” But Menachem (p. 127) associated it with (Exod.12: 37): “And the children of Israel traveled (ויסעו).</html>

Verse 10

<html>divide their tongue Divide it so that no one should pay them heed. And Menachem (p. 142) interpreted פלג as an expression of division. Destroy (Defey or defay in Old French, destroy, defais in modern French,) like (Lam. 2:8): “He did not restrain his hand from destroying (מבלע).” So did Menachem interpret it [p. 46]. for I have seen violence and strife in the city through them.</html>

Verse 11

<html>they surround it i.e., the violence and the strife.</html>

Verse 12

<html>Destruction Heb. הוות. blows Heb. תוֹךְ.</html>

Verse 13

<html>For no enemy reviled me all my life that I should bear my vilification, but I rose up against him and slew him. my enemy did not open his mouth that I should flee and hide from him, but now I bear the abuse with which you reviled me because you are a man who is great in Torah.</html>

Verse 14

<html>a man of my equal A man as important as I. and my esteemed one Heb. ומידעי, like אלוּפי, my prince, an expression of (Exod. 33:17): “and I recognized you (ואדעך),” which is translated וְרַבִּיתָךְ “and I made you great.” Menachem (p. 94), however, explained that “For no enemy would revile me that I should bear” is connected to (verse 7): “If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” If I could raise my wings, I would fly away and wander on account of the distress of the wicked [inflicted upon me], for when I would leave the midst of the assembly of the profligate to lodge in the desert forever, then no enemy would revile me; I would not [have to] bear my disgrace and my shame, and I would not hide from him as I hid from them when I was among them. However, this interpretation is impossible, because of the verses following it, namely: And you are a man of my equal, my prince, and my esteemed one (verse 14); that together we would devise counsel; in the house of God we would walk with a multitude (verse 15). Therefore, Dunash (p. 94) interprets it in another manner, and this is its interpretation: For it is not an enemy who reviles me that I should bear my abuse, and it is not my enemy who opens his mouth wide against me, but my prince and my esteemed one, that together we would take counsel; in the house of God we would walk with a multitude. This thing is known, that the abuse of a friend is harder for a person [to bear] than the abuse of an enemy. Moreover, one can hide from his enemy, but one cannot hide from his friend when he tells him all that is in his heart. The context corroborates this [interpretation].</html>

Verse 15

<html>That together we used to devise counsel in the Torah and in the house of God we would walk בְרָגֶשּׁ, with a multitude. in the house of God In the study-halls.</html>

Verse 16

<html>May He incite Death upon them May the Holy One, blessed be He, incite the Angel of Death upon them. Heb. יַשִּׁיא, incite and entice, an expression of (Gen. 3:13): “The serpent enticed me and I ate.” Menachem (p. 101) interpreted יַשִּׁיא, as an expression of יש, there is, as (Gen. 24:49): “If you wish (ישכם) to do kindness”; (Deut. 29:14), “who is (ישנו) here.” in their dwelling במגורם, in their lodging.</html>

Verse 18

<html>Evening, morning, and noontime The evening prayer, the morning prayer, and the afternoon prayer, three prayers.</html>

Verse 19

<html>from the battle that came upon me from the war that came upon me. because of the many [people who] were with me For He did this because of the many people who came to my aid to pray on my behalf, as it is stated (I Sam. 18:16): “And all Israel and Judah loved David.”</html>

Verse 20

<html>May God hear the prayer of those many people. and answer them the King, Who dwells from time immemorial. for there is no passing for them For those wicked men who pursue me. They do not pay heed to the day of their passing, and they do not quake from the day of death.</html>

Verse 21

<html>He stretched forth his hands This refers to Ahithophel the wicked. He stretched forth Heb. שלח, tandit or tondet in Old French, stretched forth, tendait in modern French. against him who was at peace with him Heb. בשלמיו, against him who was tranquil and at peace with him.</html>

Verse 22

<html>Smooth were Heb. חלקו, an expression of (above 35:6): “and slippery (וחלקלקות).” the buttery words of his mouth Heb. מחמאת, an expression of חמאה butter. The first “mem” is a defective radical in the word, like the “mem” of מעשה and the “mem” of מאמר. but his heart was set on war Heb. וקרב, to war. but they are curses Heb. פתחות. Menachem (p. 147) interpreted it as an expression of swords, as (Micah 5:5): “and the land of Nimrod with its swords (בפתחיה),” with the edges of the sword. I say, however, that it is an expression of curse in Aramaic, as the Talmud (R.H. 31b) states: Amemar wrote a pethicha on her, which is a warrant decreeing excommunication.</html>

Verse 23

<html>your burden Heb. יהבך, your burden. The Holy Spirit answers him thus. and He will bear you Heb. יכלכלך. He will bear your burden, as (I Kings 8:27): “the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You (יכלכלוך). The expression of כלכול is rendered מסובר, bearing, in Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel. to falter Heb. מוט, the faltering of the foot.</html>

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Table of Contents

Psalm 55

Psalm 55

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 8

Verse 10

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 21

Verse 22

Verse 23